[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 191 (Wednesday, December 16, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H15476]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   AMERICANS MAKE THIS COUNTRY GREAT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, at the close of 2009, as we look to and 
prepare for a new year, I'm prompted to call attention to the 
remarkable American people who have, once again, weathered a difficult 
year with dignity and toughness. Sometimes the Washington establishment 
forgets that the solutions to America's problems lie outside this 
capital city.
  Yes, Americans from almost every walk of life are tightening their 
belts and making due with less this year, but Americans continue to be 
an extraordinarily resourceful people who inspire me in my work every 
day.
  As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, entering in a new year, I hope 
we can all draw inspiration from the American people. We live in a 
Nation of innovators and hardworking entrepreneurs. Their 
resourcefulness is unlimited. The spirit of American opportunity lives 
and thrives among them.
  And let's not forget the North Carolinians who, with their 
characteristic generosity and work ethic, illustrate the greatness at 
work in America, even in seasons of considerable difficulty. I look to 
them as a source of inspiration and hope. People like those who call 
North Carolina home have always been the best hope for the preservation 
of our tradition of individual liberty and government by and for the 
people, whether in good times or bad.
  Mr. Speaker, Washington would do well to stop and watch, listen, and 
learn from everyday Americans as they go about their lives and do the 
things that help make our Nation great.
  May God continue to bless us all.

                          ____________________